Catherine Byrne (Dublin South Central, Fine Gael)

As a mother of five, I know that children do not want to feel different. Whether they are at home, in school or on a playground or the street, they just want to be the same as their friends and part of the gang. However, we must realise that some children need a special helping hand. The Minister has, with the stroke of a pen, decided many of their futures. I welcome our motion, which shows a commitment from Fine Gael to a special group of children who are being abandoned by the Government.

See this speech in context